Engine throttle governor



Jan. 30, 1940. E. M. CLAYTOR ENGNE THROTTLE GOVERNOR Filed Feb. l2, 1938 HIE Sw/TCH 70 I INVENTOR EDM/Aem M CLAyre BY @M11/YAM,

f ATTORNEY.,

atented Jan. 30, 1940 PATENT OFFICE i 2,188,704 ENGINE 'rnno'rrm GOVERNOR Edward M. Claytor, Anderson, Ind., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application February 12, 1938, Serial No. 190,214

5 Claims. (Cl. 12S-102) This invention relates to engine throttle governors and particularly to governors for use with automobile engines.

It is an object of the present invention to provide means for limiting the speed of an engine and hence the speed of the vehicle propelled by it.

In the disclosed embodiment of the present invention, the operating link between the throttle operating or accelerator pedal and the throttle lever on the carburetor includes a collapsible portion which is operated by an electro-magnet. This collapsible portion is normally extended so that the accelerator pedal may be operated to move the throttle valve to fully open position, which may be necessary when the engine is developing full power at moderate speed. A switch, which closes in response to conditions which are present when it is attempted to operate the vehicle at high speed, connects the electromagnet with a current source. This results in a collapsing or shortening of the link between the accelerator pedal and the throttle lever at the carburetor. Thus the throttle valve is closed automatically in response to high speed operation, although the operator may maintain the accelerator pedal in a position which normally would cause the throttle valve to be wide open. Thus the governor acts upon the throttle independently of the manipulation of the accelerator pedal.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein a preferred embodiment of one form of the invention is-clearly shown.

In the drawing:

The ligure is a diagram of the throttle governor embodying the present invention.

Referring to the drawing', 20 designates 'an engine fuel passage across which extends a throttle shaft -2| -carrying a butterfly throttle valve 22. Shaft 2| is operated by a lever 23 moved from the idle position shown in the drawing to a position in contact with a stop 24 which the lever 23 will strike when the valve 22 is wide open. Throttle lever 23 is operated by a foot or accelerator pedal 30 hinged at 3| upon the floor 32 of the vehicle. Pedal 30 is connected with lever 23 by a collapsible link which comprises a link member 40 attached at 4| to the pedal 30 and terminating in a magnetizable core member 42, centrally disposed withrespect to a magnetizable shell 43. The core 42. is received by a non-magnetizable tube 44 which provides a support and guide for a magnetizable armature 45 terminating in a link member 46, pinned at 41 to the lever 23. The non-magnetizable tube 44 is supported also by discs 48, of magnetizable metal, which cooperate with the shell 43 to provide an enclosure for a magnet coil 50, the leads 5| and 52 of which are exible and are connected with terminals 53 and v54 respectively; A spring 55 is located between the core 42 and armature 45 in order to hold these parts in separated relation and, hence, the link members 40 and 46 in normally extended relation. The separation of member 45 from member 42 is limited by a pin 56, of nonmagnetizable metal, which passes through a slot 51 in armature 45. A tension spring 58 connecting link member 40 with the toe board 59- of the vehicle serves to hold the parts of the throttle control in normal position as shown in the drawing, the throttle 22 being in engine-idle position.

The magnet coil 5@ is energized by a battery or other current source tllygrounded at 6| and connected with the terminal 54. The control of the connection between the battery and the coil 50 is eiected by an air switch 10, comprising a vane 1|, pivoted at 12 and located in an air current represented by arrows 13. Pivot 12 is connected with terminal 53. This air current is created by the engine radiator cooling fan so that the force oi the air current 13 is proportionate to the speed of the fan, hence, to the 1| carries a contact 'it engageable with a contact 15, grounded at 16. Normally the vane 1| is held in contact-open position and against a stop 11 by tension spring 18 iixed at one end to the Vane 1| and at the other to a screw 19 which passes through a plain hole in a bracket and which receives adjusting nuts 8| and 82. The screw 19 is provided with a knurled head 83 so that the screw may be held from rotating while the nuts 8| and 82 are turned in order to adjust the position of the screw 19 with respect to the bracket 80. In this way the tension of the spring 18 is adjusted so that greater or less wind pressure upon the vane 1| will be required to move it into contact-making position.v

When the speed of the engine and hence the speed of the cooling fan attains a certain value such that the air current represented by arrows 13 exerts a pressure upon the vane 1| suciently to overcome the spring 18, contact 14 will engage contact 15 thus connecting the battery 60 with the magnet coil 50. Then the coil 50 will produce magnetism suilicient to overcome the re- Vsistance of the spring 55 and to cause the armaspeed of the engine which drives it. The vane i 30 at that time.

l Wl'ien the speed of the engine is decreased, the pressure against the vane 'Il will decrease until the spring 18 overcomes it and separates the contacts 14 and 15. Then the magnet coil 50 will be disconnected from the battery and the electromagnet forming a part of the link will be deenergized, thereby permitting the link to expand by the movement of armature H5 away from the core d2 due tothe expansion of the compressed spring 55.

In this manner, maintenance of the throttle 22 in a wide-open position such as wouldv cause over-speeding of the engine is prevented because, when the engine begins to over-speed, the throttle will move automatically to partly-open position Ithereby reducing the speed of the engine. However, if the engine is required to carry a load which would tend to reduce its speed, the throttle 22 may be fully opened by movement of the accelerator pedal 30 because, so long as the speed is below a predetermined value, the air switch cannot close and hence the linkage between the accelerator pedal and the throttle cannot be collapsed.

While the embodiment of the present inven- 1 throttle valve, a manually operated throttle con-A trol member for moving the valve toward fully open position, a collapsible link connecting the member and the valve, electromagnetic means for collapsing said link, a current source, and an engine speed responsive switch for connecting the means and current source. n

2. An engine governing system, comprising a throttle valve, a manually operated throttle control member -for moving the valve toward fully open position, a collapsible link connecting the member and valve, said link including a solenoid electromagnet and an armature, a spring normally maintaining said magnet and armature extended, a current source and an engine speed responsive switch for connecting the magnet and SOUICB.

3. An engine governing system, comprising a throttle valve, a manually operated throttle control member for moving the valve toward fully open position, a, collapsible link connecting the member and valve and comprising a solenoid electromagnet connected with the member and an armature connected with the valve, a coiled spring located between the armature and magnet core and normally-maintaining the magnet and armature extended, a current source and an engine speed responsive switchfor connecting the magnet and source.

4. A system for governing an internal combus-I tion engine comprising a throttle valve, manually operable means for moving the valve toward fully open position, and means for modifylng the operation of said manual means and comprising an electromagnet, a current source and a switch actuated by a blast of air from the cooling fan of the engine for connecting the electro-- magnet with the current source.

5. A system for governing an internal combustion engine comprising a throttle valve. manually operable means for moving the valve toward fully open position, said means including a collapsible link, and means for modifying the action of said throttle control means, said modifying means comprising an electromagnet for collapsing said link, a current source and a switch for connecting the magnet with the current source, said switchA being an air switch responsive to a blast of air created by the engine cooling fan.

' EDWARD M. CLAYTOR. 

